Elevated transportation system



INVENTOR.

Feb. 23, 1932. J. o. BELL ELEVATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet'1 Filed Jan. 50, 1928 lhlllllilllll'" UWI'WW V////Wa JOSEPH D. BELL.

Feb. 23, 1932. J. D. BELL 1,846,021

ELEVATED TRANSPORTATI ON SYS TEM Filed Jan. 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2u... "3.............,.,.,........,,.,. A u

JOSEP lfl D. BELL.

Patented Feb. 23, 1932 1,846,021

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH I). BELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA ELEVATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Application filed January 30,1928. Serial No. 250,434.

This invention relates particularly to an considered to be the best, butit is to be underelevatedtransportation system. stood that the inventionis not limited to An object of the invention is to provide a such form,because it may be embodied in transportation system of the elevated typeother forms; and it is also to be understood wherein the carryingconveyances are susthat in and by the claims following the de pendedfrom, and apply tractive effort to an scription, it is desired to coverthe invention overhead rail, in conjunction with means for in whatsoeverform it may be embodied. maintaining the conveyance in a state of In theaccompanying two sheets of drawstable equilibrium. ings: p 10 A furtherobject of the invention is to pro- Fig. 1 represents a plan view of acar sus vide a mono-rail transportation system arpended on a railconstructed in accordance ranged above the car and from which the carwith my invention. is suspended, together with a rail beneath the Fig. 2is a side elevation of Fig. 1. a

car and in alignment with the overhead rail, F 8 is a plan section takenthrough a 15 to maintain the said car in a predetermined passengerconveyance constructed in accordoperating position. ance with myinvention, taken on the hue A still further object of the invention isto 3 3 of Fig. 4. provide a passenger carrying car for a F 1g. l is avertical section through my car transportation system having individualtaken on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3, the means 20 platforms thereon tosupport the passengers for guidlng the car in a vertical position onbeing conveyed, inconjunction with means to the I WBI' rail ng amodified formof the move said platforms, together with the pasapparatusfor accomphshing this function. sengers thereon, in and about theinterior of g- 5 1S a fragmentary cross section taken the car to promotequick filling or discharghr ugh F 1g. 2 on the l1ne 5-5, showing the ingof the passengers from the said car. P ed manner of guiding the car onthe Another object of the invention is to pro- 10W61 vide means fordirecting the movement of an Th ll tluetlon illustrated in thedrawendless belt having platforms thereon around g COIHPIISBS the upp rraction rail 1 and an enclosure where it may be desired to dislowergulde 'f 2 arranged in p 511$ 30 l ti l l d upon th Several l tpended"relation above the ground. As forms, such, for example, as furniture, orWn 111 Fig- 4, the upper rail is supported other n'lerchandise, eachplatform carrying 011 a bracket 3 WhIQh i onnected by suitable a fullload of material artistically arranged pp s to a P r 01 Column, 01'other for suitable display to the public at one parequivalent structure,for supporting said rail 35 ticular place whereby one show window can111 PQ h lower Fail also g P- be made to give an adequate display con-Ported 111 a ahle m nner. My method tinuously changing of a number ofthe loaded of p li 111113 mfipaced relation ilbOVe l tf the ground 1s toprovide an elevated trans- Oth r bject f th i ti are t r portationsystem whlch will differ materialvide a mono-rail systemoftransportation lvfrom the COHYQINJIOIIM type of elevated consisting of apair of suspended tracks ar- T2111 y t m h 111 mnged i spaced l ti on db t My invention contemplates particularly which a conveyance is movablyguided, with the pp rtlng 0f the passenger carrying means on thconveyance t move th conveyance by the rails 1 and 2 arranged 45 sengersat will, into any selected locatio above and below the car, to reduce toa miniwithin the car, or relative to the doors in said he am nt of spacerequired for a car, to hasten the filling or discharging of completeoperative transportation system, as passengers from the car. contrastedwith the conventional type of In this specification and the annexeddrawbroad gage elevated railways. In my sys 0 ings, the invention isillustrated in the form tem I provide rapid transportation byaccommodating the passengers in the cars capable of holding ten ortwelve individuals, in a standing position, whereby it is possible tomake the cars of relatively narrow width and of short length and, at thesame time, to run the car at a speed varying from thirty to sixty milesan hour. The passengers are obliged to stand and in considerationthereof to be carried at a rapid rate of speed to their destinations, incontrast with present day method of slow-transportation where seats areprovided to make comfortable the wait of the passenger, whilev beingtrans ported from one point to another.

Each of my cars or conveyances 5 consist of a substantially rectangularstructure that is suitably rounded at its front and rear ends 6' and 7to minimize wind resistance, and which, on the roof 7 thereof, isprovided adjacent its frontand rear ends with standards 8 and 9, eachstandard having a bearing 10 thereon, that extends over theupper rail 1,

substantially parallel" thereto. A wheel 12 is journaled in each of thebearings 10, the wheel adjacent the frontend of the car be ing atraction wheel and having a sprocket 13 on an end thereof that is drivenby a chain 14 running off of the motor 15, arranged within the carhousing. The car is also provided'with rollers 16 and 17, journaled onthe roof thereof, to engage opposite sides of the rail 1 for the purposeof holding the car Wheels 12 in proper running position on the rail 1'.Although I have shown a particular type of car wheel 12, together with arail 2 for maintaining said wheels 12 on the track,

it is to be understood that the invention contemplates the use of amodified form of track and wheel structure.

The motorman or operator in charge of the car stands at the forward endof the car adjacent the controller box 18, having a suitable controlmeans thereon for stopping and starting the motor, it being contemplatedthat the motor 15 is to be driven by elec- -tricity carried to the carby an overhead wire 19.

The guide rail 2 beneath the car is substantially U-shaped in crosssection, the open side ofthe channel facing the bottom of the car. Awheel 20 is journaled in the car mid- "the wheel or car to have a freevertical i'eciprocative movement. v

A flooring 25 is arranged t(.l]21C(311t the bottom of the car in spacedrelation therewith,

said flooring being provided with a continu pair of sprocket wheels 31and 32 are journaled to mesh with the endless chain 30 and to impartdirectional movement to said chain. It is obvious that movement of thechain will cause the shaft rollers 29 to move on the bottom of the carin a path corresponding tothat of the slot 26 in the flooring, and thatthe individual platforms will be moved in' unison over the flooring. Thepassengers upon entering through the doors in the car at a station, steponto one of the individual platforms 27, and through the manipulation ofthe car operator, the platforms 27 will be advanced around the'interiorof the car. In

the same manner, the platforms with the passengers thereon, can be movedrelative to the doors to effect the quick discharge of pas sengers fromthe conveyance.

A rod 34 is secured in a vertical position to each platform 27 to afiorda hand grip for the passenger on each platform, and each rod 34 moveswith its platform, as the platform is advanced around the car. The lowerend 37 of each of the rods 34 extends through a slot 38 formed in thesaid flooring 25 parallel to the slot 26. An elliptical guideway 42 thatcomplements the slots 26 and 38 is provided on the under side of theflooring between the slots 26 and 38 to maintain the passenger platforms 27 in a predetermined position on the flooring, and to preventlateral or disaligning movement thereof. A roller 43 is journaled on thelower end of each rod 34 and is confined in the guideway 42 to properlycenter the rods within the car as aforesaid.

The upper end 44 of each rod 34 is provided with a roller 43ournaledthereon,and

guided in a track 45 suspended from the under side of the roof of'thecar. The upper track 45 follows the same contour as the guid-eway 42 onthe flooring of the car so that the support rods 34 are maintained in atrue vertical position when being advanced around the conveyance. motor15 is connected to the shaft on which the sprockets 31 and 32 aremounted, whereby the'c'ar operator can actuate said sprockets asdesired, to move any selected platform or platforms 27, relative to theentrance or exit doors 47, to take on ordischarge passengers.

In Fig. 4, th under side of the car isprovided with a pair of spacedrollers 48 journale'd thereon to engage the' opposite face of A chain 46that is driven by the v all) the lower track 49, and to keep the car onthe track in substantially the same manner as the preferred form of carcentering means shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. Din enclosure having a continuous trackivay on the flooring thereof;a plurality of individual platforms arranged on the flooring to move inthe trackway; a hand grip on each platform; and means to move all of theplatforms around the trackway.

2. An inclosure having a continuous trachuay on the flooring thereof; aplurality of individual platforms arranged on the flooring to move inthe trackvvay; a hand grip on each platfornti; a trackway for each handgrip arranged parallel to the first mentioned trackway to maintain eachhand grip and platform in a selected position Within the interior of theenclosure; and means to move all of the platforms around the track- Way.

2-). i111 inclosure having a continuous trackway on the flooringthereof; a plurality of individual platforms arranged on the flooring tomove in the trackway; a hand grip on each platform; a pair of trackWaysarranged parallel to the first mentioned trachway to confine each of theopposite ends of the hand grip therein and to maintain each hand gripand platform in a selected position. Within the interior of theenclosure; and means to move all of the platforms around the trackivay.

l. A housing comprised of top, bottom, side and end Walls; a flooringadjacent the bottom having a continuous slot therein substantiallyparallel to the side and end walls of the housing; a plurality ofindividual carrier platforms arranged to move over the flooring, eachplatform having a guide there in confined in the slot; a trackway on theflooring arranged parallel to the slot; a compleme itary trackway on thetop Wall of the housing; a vertically disposed rod on each platformhaving each of its opposite ends n'lovably related to one of thetrackways; and means to move each of the platforms and rods in unisonaround the interior of the bruising.

A housing comprised of top, bottom, side and end Walls; a flooringadjacent the bottom having a continuous slot therein sub stantiallyparallel to the side and end Walls of the housing; a. plurality ofindividual carrier platforms arranged to move over the floorin of thehousing, each platform having a guide therein confined in the slot; aplatform supporting roller on the lower end of each guide to roll on thebottom Wall of the housing; an endless chain connecting all the guides;a trackway on the flooring arranged parallel to the slot; acomplementary track- Way 011 the top Wall of the housing; a verticallydisposed rod on each platform having

